Duty Free Items

Foreign and Mexican Residents may bring personal items such as:

Clothing and shoes, in non-commercial quantities
1 Camera, movie or video camera with power supply with up to 12 rolls of film or videocassettes
1 Portable computer (laptop)
1 Piece of used sporting equipment (that can be carried by one person)
Books and magazines, in non commercial quantities
Medicines for personal use (with prescriptions if psychotropic)
Luggage necessary to carry all this
A maximum of 20 packs of cigarettes, 25 cigars or 200 grams of tobacco
Up to 3 liters of wine, beer or liquor

Foreign Residents, in addition to the above, may bring:

1 Pair of Binoculars
1 TV under 12 inches
1 portable radio/recorder
2 laser disks
20 CDs or cassette tapes
1 Typewriter
1 Musical instrument (that can be carried by one person)
1 Set of camping gear and tent
5 toys
1 set of fishing gear
1 pair of skis
1 pair of tennis racquets
1 surfboard or sailboard
1 Videocassette recorder

Foods

You may bring vegetables, fruits, flours, dried nuts, spices and milk products for personal use. Fresh and frozen meats and fowl are allowed if they are sealed in their original wrappers with stickers indicating their origin in the U.S. or Canada.

Pets

Dogs and Cats or up to four canaries may enter Mexico as pets, with a letter from a veterinarian certifying vaccination and good health. Please declare pets and foods at your entry point. Do not bring explosives, guns, bullets or drugs (without a prescription), you will go to jail.

Money

Bringing money in any quantity is not a crime but not declaring it can be. You may bring $10.000 U.S. in cash or checks legally but you must declare any funds over that amount. If you bring over $30,000 U.S. you can be sent to prison for up to six years and the federal authorities keep all funds over $20,000 U.S.

Liberally translated by John Murphy from Guia Oficial Programa Paisano October 1998 Ed.
These rules were still in effect as of October, 2000.